New Year’s Surfing Resolution

Written byErrant Surf on 26th December 2011
Published inSurfing Feeling the love with 0 Likes
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The key to fulfilling any New Year’s resolution is to plan ahead, make sure that it’s aligned with your personal goals, and not to just list it all down, on a whim, on New Year’s Eve.

A study spearheaded by Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the U.K.-based University of Hertfordshire, revealed that most of the 700 people they interviewed failed to stick to their New Year’s resolutions.

Interestingly, while the study showed that the lack of willpower is one of the main reasons why people fail to keep up with their resolutions, those who managed to stick to them don’t necessarily have a stronger willpower.

According to Wiseman’s interview with the Guardian, “many of the most successful techniques involve making a plan and helping yourself stick to it.”

People who kept their resolutions broke their goal into smaller steps, rewarded themselves when they achieved one of these, and told their friends about their goals. They also focused on the benefits of success and recorded their progress.

If you always wanted to travel on your own, but have been hesitating to do so for the last few years, then TODAY may be the time to do that.

You don’t need to wait for New Year’s Eve to write your travel resolutions. And believe me, it’s so easy. Here are the five baby steps that you can take towards reaching goal:

1. Be specific with your location.

Be very specific–a surf resort, not a country. Ask yourself where you always wanted to go but never had the time, money, or courage to go on your own. Go to a quiet corner where you won’t be disturbed and write down the name of the surf spot you have always dreamt of surfing.

2. Commit to a time.

When do you want to go? During the summer holiday? On your birthday? Next Christmas? The only time you’re allowed to take vacation at work? Whenever it is, choose a specific date and make sure your office is on board with the plan. Once you have the time off, it will be a lot easier to push yourself through the planning.

3. Discover your own agenda.

What do you want to do in that place? Visit the art galleries? Try Yoga or just get better at surfing? Eat you way to some of the finest restaurants? Surf the longest wave of your life? Your itinerary must only include activities that matter to you and not what the guidebook or that know-it-all colleague told you to do.

4. Research.

After you figured out what, where, when and why you’re going to this surf destination, it’s time to do the “how.” The main questions that you need to answer are: How much would it cost? What are the items you have to bring to be comfortable while traveling? What is the attitude of locals to tourists (especially women tourists) who are on their own?

In this age of (over) information, it’s so easy to find answers to your questions. You can buy the guidebook, surf the net, post your questions in online forums, and even ask your friends and family for recommendations.

5. Build your travel fund.

Once you have a fair idea about the prices of the plane tickets, accommodations, and food, you can then start building a travel fund. You can open a savings account or buy a piggy bank (Chris Guillebeau said that you only need to save $2 a day to travel to any place that you want to go).

You can start living frugally–say goodbye to night outs and expensive nail salons–or find a way to earn an extra income.

The biggest obstacles to having an adventure are likely your own thoughts. As with all resolutions, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Where would you like to surf this year?